Thanks to a tip, I was able to reach out to Weaver Leather supply and order a press die for setting machined brass lace hooks like Trendware’s #205, also sold by Weaver and formerly Ohio Travel Bag as C-1567. These are the lace hooks used on Pacific Northwest logging and hiking boots, which I’ve also seen on other outdoor boots, like Danner Lites.
Here are two picks of a lacquered brass Trendware #205 mounted up:
Weaver’s item number for the tool is 65-6176. My price was $48.00.
The item wasn’t on the website, so customer service asked me to call the order in. The call-in process was easy enough. They were able to look up my online account and use addresses entered there.
The set includes only the bottom set or anvil, no top set. The mounting interface for the press is 3/8" round shank, used by Weaver’s Little Wonder as well as Craftool and TandyPro hand presses. I believe Buckle Guy calls it “West Coast”. I measure the shaft at about 3/4" long, including the chamfered lip on the bottom.
Interstingly, the SKU sticker on the inventory bag the tool came in is marked “Cntry of Origin: USA”. I suspect Weaver may have contracted with a job shop to machine a batch of these to spec.
What did you use for a top set? A splitter or the other kind? Also, how wide is the top of the hook? Wondering if these are much bigger than what I use.
I haven’t gone out and set a hook with the new anvil yet, but when I do, I’ll plan to use a fluted top set for eyelets. To date, I’ve only ever seen companies set the 205 hooks flower-petal-style, even though they never come pre-scored. This even when they rollset the eyelets below.
have you tested the fluted top set yet? I have a Tandy press that does not have a threaded top set, it just has a set screw and its 3/8th. Do you know where i might be able to buy a top set? it seems like all the ones weaver sells are threaded.
I don’t personally have a 3/8 press myself, so I don’t know a product to just point you to offhand. But I know that Avetco in LA and Buckleguy in Massachusetts both sell 3/8-shaft tools. Buckleguy calls it “West Coast”. Weaver Leather’s “Little Wonder” press also uses 3/8 shafts, so you might double check with them, as well.
Campbell-Randall in Conroe, Texas imports strangely threaded 1/4-24 tools for Italian presses, but sells a 1/4-24 to 3/8 shaft adapter:
The concern there will be vertical clearance. You’ll want to be sure you have enough space in your press to fit tools, adapters, and materials.
Most importantly, I’d strongly recommend that you call all of these businesses and ask, rather than just rely on their web catalogs. They don’t list all they have for sale online.
My notes on hardware setter tooling interfaces generally live here:
I placed my order! The guy on the phone advised me to buy “Splash Anvil for #104 Rivets” to set them and it has a 3/8th shank so it will fit my press. Thank you for helping me on this, Ive been trying to order these for 7 months lol
I can confirm that the splash setter is preferred and almost mandatory when setting these by hand. It is going to take some OOMPH.
Make sure your press is firmly mounted. I am not 100% certain the normal hand presses are going to have enough to set the machined hooks. They are STOUT.
I am using the above Campbell Randal Italian press #3.
As a side note, I encourage everybody to be “constructively selfish” here. Don’t hesitate to start new topics that would help or interest you. Don’t hesitate to reply to other’s topics in new directions. Everybody will be glad to see photos and progress logs on your projects, tool acquisitions, and supply sourcing hunts.
If something’s of interest to you, it’ll almost certainly be of interest to others here, too, as well as folks who find the forum through searches and might like to join in. If tangents make topics hard to follow, I can always move replies to their own, new topics.
Can I ask which top setter you’re using in that press? Did you find a fluted setter with their weird 1/4-24 threading in C-R’s catalog?
I ordered the set from them though I did have to modify my set slightly. Dan offered to match something exactly if I sent him one of the hooks in question but said I was also to modify what they sent as well, at my own risk of ruining it of course.
The set I purchased was TWP-HK5
Much of there stuff is not in the online catalog but if you email and ask they will try to find or get what you need.
Thanks so much for sharing that. I’ve been using the top set from the same set, though I never modified the anvil.
I have the smaller #2 Italian press. I definitely second your advice to really fix it down.
I like the smooth twisting mechanism for eyelets a lot, but for power, I think a handle pulling straight down makes more sense. I don’t have a link in my notes, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a video from either Frank’s or JK showing they have an arbor press rigged to set hooks.
